10 Girls Names In The Bible That Are Still Used Today

Here is a list of 10 of the top girl’s names still being used that are straight from the Bible

Mary

The name Mary is from the Hebrew name “Miryam” from which Miriam comes, who was the sister of Moses. The meaning of the name is uncertain and has been suggested to mean “sea of bitterness,” “rebelliousness”, and “wished for child” but also is closely related to “mira” which means “bitter” or some render it “a tear.” Mary of course is the biological mother of Jesus Christ.

Deborah

Deborah’s name comes from the Book of Judges and she was the only female judge to ever rule over Israel and she was also a heroine and prophetess of the faith as she led the Israelites to a defeat of the Canaanites. Her name literally means “bee” and in her time, she truly was the “queen bee” of the nation of Israel.

Rebecca

Rebecca’s name is from the Hebrew “Rivqah” and may mean “a snare” and in the Bible, she is the wife of Isaac, the first son of prominence from Abraham, the father of the faithful. Since the Protestant Reformation, it has been very popular, and was particularly favored by the Puritans in the 17th century.

Rachel

The name of Rachel has been making a comeback in the last hundred years, especially among Christian parents. Rachel’s name is from the Hebrew word “Rachel” and one of the few Hebrew names that is the same as the English spelling is. Her name means “ewe” which is a female sheep and with the “el” at the end, could mean “sheep of God.”

Sarah

This is another hugely popular name today and it’s taken straight out of the Bible. This name is Hebrew and means “lady, princess,” or “noblewoman.” This is Abraham’s wife and originally she was called “Sarai” but like Abram’s name was changed to Abraham, Sarai’s name was changed to Sarah by God. This name is among the top 50 names being given to women today, largely among professing Christians.

Leah

This name may not be heard much today but just a few decades ago, it was listed in the top 100 Bible names for women that Christian parents named their baby girls after. Leah is Hebrew and is from the word “Le’ah” and is derived from the same Hebrew word used for “weary” which is “le’ah.” Leah is the first wife of Jacob and was the mother of seven of his children.

Abby or Abigail

This name is more often than not rendered “Abby” and this is from the Hebrew name Abigail which in the Hebrew is “’Avigayil” meaning “my father is joy.” This is the name of King David’s third wife. Abby is often used as a middle name for girls.

Hannah

The name Hannah is sometimes rendered “Anna” but is from the name Hannah. This Hebrew name comes from “Channah” and means “favor” or “grace.” Hannah was the mother of the great prophet of Israel, Samuel, who lived before the time of the kings. Samuel was her first child.

Elizabeth

This name has also been making a strong comeback in the last few years. Elizabeth’s name is from the Hebrew “Elisheva’” meaning “my God is an oath” or perhaps “my God is abundance” and this is relevant to her because she was barren for a long time before she conceived of her first child and Jesus said that this man, who would later be John the Baptist, was the greatest among those born of women (Matt 11:11).

Ester

You might not have heard of anyone called “Ester” but at one time, this name was widely popular and accepted as a baby girl’s name. This name is sometimes spelled “Esther” from which the Book of Ester or Esther is named. This lady was sometimes called “Queen Este,” the compulsory wife of a Persian king who managed to save the Jews from the realm from extermination. In the original Hebrew, her name is Hadassah.

Conclusion

Speaking of names, Paul writes that “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil 2:9-11). There is no other name given to us whereby we must be saved and that is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12) for there is salvation in no one else as God says “As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God” (Rom 14:11).

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Blind Chance or Intelligent Design available on Amazon.